"Science and technology have long been at the core of America's strength and competitiveness, and the scientists and engineers who have led America on its remarkable path to success share something very precious: science and math teachers who brought these critical subjects to life," President Obama said on Monday. "Today we honor some of the best of these teachers and thank them for their dedication. They are inspirations not just to their students, but to the Nation and the world."

Speaker Pérez Appoints Members to the Academic Content Standards Commission

URL: http://www.asmdc.org/caucus-news/item/231-speaker-pérez-appoints-members-to-the-academic-content-standards-commission?lang=en

On June 2, Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez (D-Los Angeles) announced the appointment of the following individuals to the Academic Content Standards Commission:

- Heather Calahan -- Lecturer and Executive Director of the Curtis Center for Mathematics and Teaching at UCLA

- Robert Ellis -- 1st grade teacher in the West Contra Costa Unified School District

- Bruce Grip -- High school teacher in the Chaffey Joint Union High School District and Vice President of the Southern Section of the California Mathematics Council

- Pat Sabo -- Middle school teacher in the Healdsburg Unified School District

The Academic Content Standards Commission was created by Senate Bill X5 1 (Steinberg). The Commission is charged with developing and presenting to the State Board of Education new content standards in language arts and mathematics. According to the law, at least 85 percent of these new standards are required to be the National Common Core Standards that were also released on June 2 by the interstate collaborative led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers.

"This is a great day for California's students and for students nationwide," said Speaker Pérez.  "These five individuals will each bring expertise, experience, and, most importantly, a passion for the highest quality teaching and learning to the standards development process.  The national standards that will form the core of California's new standards set new benchmarks for rigor and for deep learning.  They will spur the development of higher quality textbooks, curricula, and assessments and will help California's students successfully compete with our national and global competitors."

"Now that the national standards have been released and the Assembly and Senate have made their appointments to the Commission, I look forward to the Governor making his appointments so the Commission may convene and begin its critical task immediately," Speaker Pérez concluded. (For the names of the Senate's five appointments to the Commission, see http://www.comet.cmpso.org/2010/2010.05.15.html)

California Submits Phase 2 Race to the Top Application
Source: Office of the Governor
URL: http://gov.ca.gov/speech/15268/

On June 1, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed California's application for Race to the Top (RttT) Phase 2 funds at Long Beach Unified School District's Lafayette Elementary School. He was accompanied by all but one of the superintendents of the seven districts that provided leadership in producing the application, as well as by Senate Education Committee Chair Gloria Romero, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell, Education Secretary Bonnie Reiss, and State Board of Education Chair Ted Mitchell, among others. Visit http://gov.ca.gov/speech/15268/ to read the speech, statements, and answers to questions posed at the event.

A Los Angeles Times article discusses the relative lack of union support for California's proposal: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0602-racetotop-20100601,0,454034.story

RttT Phase 2 Application and Appendices (downloadable):

List of Participating Local Education Agencies:

List of Stakeholders Supporting RttT Phase 2 Application: http://www.caracetothetop.org/cs/rttt/print/htdocs/stakeholder_intent2.htm
education system.

Romero Sponsors Bill to Fund Test Prep Courses and Reimburse Test Fees for Prospective Mathematics and Science Teachers

In February, Senator Gloria Romero introduced Senate Bill 956, which is making its way through the legislative process.  This bill "directs $5 million of federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA) funds to school districts, county offices of education and charter schools to retrain laid-off teachers to meet subject matter competency to teach science, math and industrial and technical education.  As schools are facing layoffs of some 35,000 teachers, SB 956 proposes to expand teacher retraining opportunities to get teachers back to work and prepare students for productive futures" (http://tinyurl.com/2adzas7).

Bill Analysis (Senate):

This bill:

1. Requires the EDD to allocate five-million dollars of the WIA (Workforce Investment Act) state reserve to local workforce investment boards to allocate to school districts, county offices of education, or charter schools [on a competitive basis] to provide intensive test preparation courses for the purpose of retraining laid off and out-of-field teachers to meet subject matter competency requirements for teaching science, mathematics, or industrial and technology education.

2. Specifies preferences for examination courses to be based on the following priorities:

   A. First priority shall be for retraining laid-off teachers in order to prepare them for obtaining subject matter credentials in science or mathematics.

   B. Second priority shall be for retraining teachers who have been displaced and are currently teaching out of their field of expertise or competency area. 

3. Requires school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools that receive funding from a local workforce investment board to reimburse teachers who successfully pass a subject matter competency assessment in the specified areas for fees paid to take the examinations [CSET Subtests] and any fees charged by the Commission.

"Aceves, Torlakson in Runoff for Schools Chief" by Jill Tucker

...Retired district Superintendent Larry Aceves, a dark horse contender in the race for state superintendent of public instruction got more votes than two legislative bigwigs, shocking the education establishment and proving that candidates can still make the cut without a war chest.

Assemblyman Tom Torlakson, D-Antioch, came in second. The two will face a runoff for the nonpartisan post in November.

State Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, took third and is out of the race along with nine other contenders... If Aceves wins, he would become the state's first Latino superintendent of public instruction...

Torlakson will continue to have the endorsement of the California Teachers Association, the state's largest teachers union, among other labor groups, and presumably the campaign donations that come with them. He has name recognition from 14 years in Sacramento, and a reputation as a bridge builder between Democrats and Republicans as well as business and labor.

Yet Aceves seemed to appeal to voters wanting a middle ground between Torlakson and Romero, who aligned herself with Obama's Race to the Top initiatives, supporting a new law that allows a majority of parents at low-performing schools to authorize a takeover by a charter or other independent school operator.

"I think the voters are saying, yes, we need change, but it needs to be thoughtful, it needs to be reasonable, and it needs to be long term," Aceves said.

Aceves went after Republican voters, who were more likely to turn out for a hot gubernatorial GOP primary, said Torlakson's campaign strategist John Shallman.

"There was an opening with Romero and Tom being established Democrats," Shallman said Wednesday.

Nonetheless, Aceves' top finish surprised the education establishment, including the California Teachers Association, which actively opposed Romero.

"Quite a few people did not agree with the policies dictated out of D.C.," said CTA President David Sanchez, referring to Romero's support of Race to the Top...

The two candidates are seeking to replace state Superintendent Jack O'Connell, a former state legislator who will be termed out this year. O'Connell endorsed Torlakson.

The job of state schools chief is technically an administrative post with the responsibility to run the California Department of Education and implement state policy. The position comes with a big soapbox and a shoestring budget.

................................

The vote count for all 12 candidates in the California Statewide Primary Election for State Superintendent of Public Instruction is available online at the Secretary of State's web site: http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/sup/59.htm 

Aceves received 19.0% of the votes cast in the race; Torlakson received 18.2%, and Gloria Romero received 17.1%. The fourth-place contender, Lydia Gutierrez, received 8.8% of the votes cast.

Romero' concession statement is posted on her Web site, http://gloriaromero.org/  In part, Romero said, "The victors in the race for Superintendent of Public Instruction were two different wings of the same status-quo education establishment: ACSA's interests for administrators prevailed alongside CTA's interests for teachers.  The interests of the reform community, on behalf of parents and kids, lost."

..........................

The following two articles contain more details about the top three candidates:

Source: San Gabriel Valley Tribune - 9 June 2010

"Superintendent Candidates Face Runoff. Now What?" by Corey G. Johnson

URL: http://californiawatch.org/watchblog/runoff-state-supt-now-what

At its December 2008 meeting, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) directed that an advisory panel be convened to study the mathematics specialist authorization (current specifications: http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/standards/mathspec12.pdf). Agenda Item 5D at the June 2 CCTC meeting will provide an update on the work of the Teaching Mathematics Advisory Panel and introduce three sets of draft standards. The following agenda item document provides the context for each of these sets of standards: http://www.ctc.ca.gov/commission/agendas/2010-06/2010-06-5D.pdf 

Three different stakeholder surveys related to these standards are now available, and your input is encouraged. The surveys will close on June 13. The information gathered will be provided to the Teaching Mathematics Advisory Panel at its June 15-16, 2010 meeting for discussion, and the standards may be revised as a result of the public input. It is anticipated that the standards will be presented to CCTC for possible action at the Commission's August meeting.

1. Multiple Subject Standard 8-A(a): http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZCVK6CQ

2. Mathematics Instructional Certificate: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZC7XXXC

3. Mathematics Leadership Specialist: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZCK2PW3

..........................

Following are excerpts from Agenda Item 5D regarding each of these standards:

1. Multiple Subject Standard 8-A(a): 

"The current standards for multiple subject preparation programs contain one standard that is devoted specifically to the teaching of reading -- Program Standard 7A. One result of this emphasis is that teacher preparation programs typically have at least one course that focuses exclusively on developing candidates' knowledge and skills for teaching reading. In contrast, program standards for preparing candidates' pedagogical skills in mathematics are found in a standard that also defines the content for subject-specific pedagogical preparation for science, history-social science, the visual and performing arts, physical education, and health.

"The panel determined that the current single standard that includes mathematics along with other content areas does not provide enough specificity to ensure that multiple subject candidates develop the mathematical knowledge for teaching identified by Ball as essential for ensuring that children in K-8 classrooms receive effective instruction in mathematics. To address the need for placing more focus on developing the mathematics knowledge of multiple subject teachers, the panel developed draft language for a mathematics-specific teacher preparation program standard that addresses candidates' mathematics content knowledge, specialized content knowledge for teaching mathematics, and mathematics pedagogical skills..."

2. Mathematics Instructional Certificate:

"The panel proposes that the Mathematics Instruction Certificate have two authorization options that would be distinguished by the level of mathematical content knowledge required of the certificate holder. Holders of the PreK-Pre-Algebra MIC would need to have mastered the PreK- 7 through Algebra I California mathematics content standards and would be authorized to teach the California mathematics content standards for Pre-Kindergarten through Pre-Algebra in any setting. Holders of the PreK through Algebra I MIC would need to have mastered the PreK-7, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II California content standards and would be authorized to teach the California mathematics content standards for grades PreK through Algebra I in any departmentalized setting. MIC PreK-Pre-Algebra candidates who were not able to initially demonstrate mastery of Geometry and Algebra II standards may be able to do so through subsequent assessments, and thereby move into the MIC PreK-Algebra program."

3. Mathematics Leadership Specialist:

"The proposed new Mathematics Instructional Leadership (MIL) Specialist Credential option would prepare experienced teachers with skills required to promote more effective teaching and learning of mathematics PreK-12, provide leadership in mathematics instruction for schools, districts, and county offices, and fulfill a need in the field for a cadre of mathematics teacher leaders who have the ability to connect content level and coaching expertise with school, district, and/or county leadership. Individuals must hold a prerequisite Mathematics Instruction Certificate before they would be eligible for the Mathematics Instructional Leadership Specialist credential.

"Programs preparing Mathematics Instructional Leadership Specialist Credential candidates would include advanced preparation and fieldwork in: a) effectively connecting action research and mentoring/coaching skills with theoretical research to bridge the theory and practice divide in mathematics teaching and learning, b) designing and implementing a school and/or district professional development system that involves teachers and administrators in working collaboratively to increase student engagement and learning in mathematics, c) analyzing and using student, school, district, county, state, and college/university data to inform school and district program design to increase the number of students who are college-ready and reverse the pervasive achievement gap, and d) leading a professional community of practice."

School district officials from Fresno, Clovis and Sanger--along with their respective teacher unions and a faculty group--are all supporting California's new application for federal Race to the Top grant funding.

The unified front was displayed Thursday when local officials came together at Fresno Unified's district offices to rally behind the state's second attempt at securing federal education reform funds. If successful, California could receive up to $700 million.

The three [Fresno County] districts are part of a group of seven statewide asked by the Governor's Office to help write the state application after the earlier application failed to win funding. The three districts are also among the [298] education agencies statewide, including charter schools and county offices of education, that signed the agreement committing to reform plans. [See http://www.caracetothetop.org/cs/rttt/print/htdocs/intent2.htm]

"We are very excited to be involved with innovation and reform in schools," said David Cash, Clovis Unified's superintendent. Cash was joined by Sanger Unified Superintendent Marcus Johnson and Fresno Unified Superintendent Michael Hanson.

The superintendents said they were honored to have such prominent involvement in the state application. In addition to the three Valley districts, superintendents from Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Francisco and Sacramento were involved in shaping the application, which must be submitted to federal education officials by June 1.

The presidents of the Fresno Teachers Association and the Sanger Teachers Association also are supporting the application... They received strong pressure from the California Teachers Association not to sign the agreement. Clovis Unified's faculty senate also signed the agreement. [Clovis Unified is a nonunion district.]

Teacher unions have been largely against the reform plans, which they fear could cost teaching jobs by blaming classroom instructors for poor student performance.

But Greg Gadams, president of the Fresno Teachers Association, said it was better to be involved in the reforms, because they will take place with or without union support. "We have the ability to be involved in what it's going to look like," he said.

The Los Angeles teachers union won't sign the state's application for federal Race to the Top school-reform grants, diminishing the state's chances of claiming up to $700 million in grants tied to specific, but controversial reform strategies.

The grant has the potential to bind the state to future policies that would cost the state more than the one-time dollars would pay for, said A.J. Duffy, president of United Teachers Los Angeles. He added that the extra costs could strain school district finances and ultimately result in damaging budget cuts.

California fell short during the first round of competition for a share of the $4.35 billion in federal grants, but tried again at the urging of U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and developed a new strategy. A few school districts would pursue reforms more specific and more aggressive than in the original state submission.

The approach was a calculated gamble because federal evaluators rewarded plans that reached as many students in a state as possible. The two winning states--Tennessee and Delaware--scored high marks for doing so.

A handful of school districts, including Los Angeles Unified and Long Beach Unified, expressed early interest. The number of school systems has since swelled to 123, along with dozens of independently operated charter schools. These school systems represent more than 1.7 million of the state's 6.3 million students. That's more students than in all but six other states. Unions in 17 districts also signed on.

But other unions followed the lead of the California Teachers Assn. and nonunion critics in opposing the effort, including the unions representing San Franciso Unified and Long Beach Unified, according to state documents.

L.A. schools Supt. Ramon C. Cortines said the money would help pay for reforms that L.A. Unified already was pursuing. These include revamping the teacher evaluation system, making better use of data to improve instruction and turning around struggling schools.

Duffy, however, characterized the required blueprint as vague on key points and overly prescriptive on others.

"We agree we need a new evaluation system, no question about it," Duffy said. "But this money requires the evaluation system of teachers to be tied to standardized test scores and there's too much solid evidence to show this is not effective."

The union's leadership made the decision not to take part in Race to the Top on behalf of the membership.

The state will formally sign its application Tuesday [June 1]--the federal deadline -- at an elementary school in Long Beach. Expected participants include Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state Supt. of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

"We feel like we've put together a strong application that puts together the best thinking of some progressive district leaders," said education department spokeswoman Hilary McLean. "We're hopeful the federal government will recognize the innovative ideas we've put forth."

On May 12, the Senate Rules Committee confirmed the appointment of five California educators to serve on the state's 21-member Academic Content Standards Commission:

- Matt Perry -- Director of Linked Learning for Sacramento City Unified School District (SCUSD) and Principal of Arthur A. Benjamin Health Professions High School (SCUSD)

- Hilda Villarreal Wright -- Mathematics academic coach and teacher at Washington Middle School (Bakersfield City School District)

The Speaker of the California State Assembly (http://www.asmdc.org/speaker/) plans to announce his five appointments to the commission by next Thursday. Although the governor has selected the head of the commission, his office hasn't determined when his 11 appointees will be announced.

The Academic Content Standards Commission was established by SBX5 1, which was signed by the governor in January. At least half of those appointed to this commission must be current K-12 classroom teachers from California public schools. The Commission will be tasked with developing academic content standards in language arts and mathematics. At least 85% of the standards must be the Common Core State Standards (see http://www.corestandards.org/), which should be released on June 2. Although SBX5 1 legislates that the California State Board of Education shall vote on approving the Commission's standards on or before August 2, 2010, this deadline may not be feasible. "It is much more important to do it well than to do it quickly," stated Rick Simpson, Deputy Chief of Staff for the Speaker of the California State Assembly.

On May 12, the State Senate Education Committee and Senate Select Committee on Race to the Top (RTTT) convened a joint informational hearing on the state's application for Phase 2 of RTTT funding. Senate Education Committee Chair Gloria Romero chaired this meeting, which was titled, "Federal Race to the Top: What we Learned and Where are we Going for Round Two?" An archived webcast of this hearing is available at https://www.calchannel.com/channel/viewvideo/1375

Romero emphasized that the policy changes made as a result of Race to the Top will "stay in place," whether or not the state is successful in the Phase 2 competition, because the goal of the changes is to reform education to support student achievement.

Two panels provided input during the hearing. The first panel consisted of two representatives from the Legislative Analyst's Office, Jim Soland and Jennifer Kuhn. Soland provided a brief overview of RTTT Phase 1, including details on how California's application was scored. California's Phase 1 application received the largest point deductions in the categories of district participation (degree to which districts committed to reforms; percentage of the state's districts that signed the Memorandum of Understanding--MOU); teacher evaluation; STEM focus; and lack of a timely, appropriately-funded, and well-coordinated state P-20 (preschool-college) longitudinal data system.

Senator Loni Hancock asked why the state received no points for STEM. Soland responded that he believed that STEM was expected to be "a more pervasive theme throughout the application," one that the judges appeared to have thought was lacking in the initial RTTT application. (Later in the meeting, Bonnie Reiss offered that a team is working to make sure that STEM is indeed infused throughout the current proposal.)

Soland said that on July 26, the finalists for Phase 2 will be announced and invited to Washington, D.C. for an interview. He noted that the required elements for the RTTT application included the creation of an Academic Content Standards Commission, providing alternative pathways, and addressing the needs of low achieving schools.

The second panel consisted of the Governor's Secretary of Education Bonnie Reiss, Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Lupita Cortez Alcalá, and Superintendent Mike Hanson of Fresno Unified School District, one of the "Magnificent Six" (Romero's phrase). As reported in COMET last week (http://www.comet.cmpso.org/2010/2010.05.08.html#ca2), six California districts (Clovis Unified, Fresno Unified, and Sanger Unified in Fresno County, plus Long Beach Unified, Los Angeles Unified, and San Francisco Unified)-- districts which collectively serve over 900,000 students--are providing leadership for and participating in a working group for the Phase 2 application.

Reiss provided an overview of the process and the progress to date. She shared that Governor Schwarzenegger was persuaded to pursue Phase 2 funding by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who urged Schwarzenegger to look at Georgia's RTTT application, a proposal that included buy-in from a subset of the state's districts.

When Reiss learned that the vast majority of states that were finalists in the first round of the RTTT competition had received assistance from Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation consultants, she also sought the advice of these consultants. The "only shot" California would have for RTTT funding would be to take the approach of Georgia and have superintendents of successful, committed districts put together the application, in conjunction with these consultants and with grant writers, so that is what has been occurring.

Reiss said that a detailed plan would be produced of "how the districts are going to use data to improve student achievement and turn around failing schools," which is a large component of the RTTT application/evaluation. The plan that the superintendents are putting together is something they plan to implement whether or not their RTTT application is successful. Merit pay isn't a topic of discussion, although supporting teams at a school site and funding innovative instructional materials like iPads might be part of the plan.

Alcalá supported Reiss's comments and reiterated the strong support of State Superintendent Jack O'Connell for the approach taken in this application round--and even in a third round if necessary.

Mike Hanson addressed the committee next, describing how the six districts' leadership teams have been working around the clock to "collect and synthesize" information for the application (due June 1) and holding 2- to 3-hour conference calls every day. He noted that "we need to keep focusing on the outcome [not the process]...improving student achievement for all of our kids." He noted that "it is our view that California is facing some significant challenges that are unique from the rest of the country in our state's composition, in the make-up of our students, and the challenges they present.  If we aren't careful and if we don't make the moves we need to make in California to produce for California students, then I can almost guarantee you that we will fail the students of America, because California's current students are the students of the future America..."

Hanson mentioned that the second-round application is a "bottom-up" approach, which is much more successful than a statewide approach. Teacher union support was a challenge for the first RTTT application, but Hanson said that he has experienced "a full and complete partnership with the teacher's union." Hanson stated that "the multiple measures [of student growth] piece is very important to us [especially in talks with the teachers union]." Although the CSTs (California Standards Tests) are an accountability measure, interim assessments are "what's really important to teachers" regarding student achievement.

Hanson stated that recent legislation prompted by RTTT has already made a positive difference for the state's children, and Reiss noted that all of the participating superintendents have submitted I3 (Investing in Innovation: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovation/) applications. Romero stated, "It is so reassuring to hear you say that it is making a difference.... This is about changing outcomes for students in California."

Hancock noted that the use of data is vital in decision-making and that time is needed during the school day to collaborate and focus on data and to support teachers as educational researchers for their own professional growth and the growth of their students. Therefore, money is needed for support services. Hanson responded that "school improvement is largely driven by great teachers and great leaders," independent of additional monies. He agreed that time to collaborate is vital and it's important that a school leader be present. A high quality, user-friendly data system that is readily available on a teacher's desktop is necessary as well.

Romero asked about the process that should be followed if additional districts want to join the current six. Alcalá provided an informational web site: www.caracetothetop.org  Reiss noted that the MOU will go out next week to all of the LEAs (local education agencies). Hanson mentioned that several additional districts are already participating in the working group's daily conference calls.

On May 12, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell released a report and recommendations about expanding a high school transformation approach that links rigorous academic course work, career technical training, work-based learning opportunities and greater student supports. The approach, originally known as Multiple Pathways, is now referred to as Linked Learning.

"Linked Learning is a promising approach to transforming our high schools so students graduate career and college ready and ready to be successful in the global economy of the 21st Century," O'Connell said. "This report provides a roadmap for policymakers as they consider ways to systemically transform our high schools and significantly improve results for children."

The report, titled Multiple Pathways to Student Success, Envisioning the New California High School, was written in response to AB 2648 authored in 2008 by speaker-emeritus Karen Bass. The legislation required the California Department of Education (CDE) to explore the feasibility of establishing and expanding the Linked Learning approach in increasing success for California's high school students. Funding for the report came from the James Irvine Foundation and the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006.

"Multiple Pathways helps keep kids in school--keeps them in the game until they cross their own personal goal line--whether it's college, a profession, or a good job you can raise a family on," Bass said. "Multiple Pathways doesn't just prepare students, it empowers them."

Students enrolled in a pathways program are more likely to pass the California High School Exit Examination as sophomores, to graduate from high school, and to complete college entrance requirements. Students in these career-themed programs also get hands-on learning experience in real-world learning environments.

"Linked Learning is a way to remove what is now a false and faulty separation between academic rigor and career preparation. Our students need both if they are to succeed," O'Connell said.

Anne Stanton, Director of the James Irvine Foundation's Youth program said, "We applaud this report's bold vision for transforming high schools in California to promote increased student engagement and achievement. We look forward to working with the Department of Education and educators across the state to make high-quality Linked Learning programs available to all interested students."

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Education and Workforce Development David Rattray said, "We support the bold and creative recommendations within this report, which answer the challenge of looking at a total transformation of California high schools through the Linked Learning approach. The business community has been and will continue to be engaged in driving reform at school sites helping to guide curriculum and projects and provide students with real-world examples of how they can use what they are learning in the workplace."

The report includes a number of key recommendations for policymakers and education advocates to consider, including the following:

- Revising the California Education Code to state that the purpose of high school is to educate and prepare all students to be postsecondary and career ready upon high school graduation

- Moving the high school system from a seat-time/course completion system to a system where students progress based upon mastery of identified standards        

- Augmenting the accountability system to foster college and career readiness, increasing graduation rates and decreasing the number of dropouts   

- Changing the financing of high schools to an enrollment-based system and tie a portion of the funding to student graduation and retaining students in school

- Expanding curriculum and instruction options to support rigor and relevance within the high school system

- Consolidating Career Technical Education into a coherent system

- Improving the conditions to establish and expand Linked Learning programs.

The AB 2648 Executive Summary, the Multiple Pathways report, and other resources are located at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/gs/hs/mpfgen.asp

By now, most Californians have received voter information guides for the California Statewide Primary Election on June 8. Statements of seven individuals running for State Superintendent of Public Instruction (the position that Jack O'Connell currently holds) can be found on the Web site above.